Afterward
Matthew’s long gone, having been shoved out to sea by a frontal system. In its wake, high pressure has built in giving us the taste of fall that we so richly deserve after one of the hottest summers on record. This fall-like weather will continue for the next several days; temperatures will warm gradually to the upper 70s by the end of the week, but will remain comfortable. Rain chances are minimal through next Monday — plenty of great weather for cleaning up.
However, we still have a few lingering issues due to Matthew.
River flooding
River flooding will be an issue over the next few days at various locations in the Tri-County
The Santee River at Jamestown
The Santee River near Jamestown is forecast to remain in minor flood stage for the next several days, gradually falling after cresting at 13.06'. While this will make some roads impassable for logging operations, this is nowhere near the 22' that was experienced earlier this year.
The Edisto River at Givhans Ferry
The situation on the Edisto River near Givhans Ferry is a little more critical. Moderate flooding is underway there and will approach major flood stage before falling. This may cause river access roads to become impassable and threaten homes in the area, especially if the river ends up rising over 15'.
The Ashley River
Earlier today the National Weather Service, acting on reports from Dorchester County emergency managers, issued a flood warning along the Ashley River in southern Dorchester County. This flood warning impacts a large chunk of Ashley River Road from Middleton Place to 17-A. There are concerns that the river will rise high enough to cause roads to become impassable. Unfortunately, there are no gauges along the Ashley with which we in #chswx can measure the river’s height, so reports from the ground are the only thing we have to go on as far as impacts.
If you’re near an area being impacted by river flooding, please be safe and do not attempt to ford flooded roads!
Tidal flooding
As the moon’s perigee approaches and a wedge of high pressure from the north once again turns winds onshore, tidal flooding will again resurface as an issue in the Charleston area. While we won’t see 9.29' as we saw during Matthew, minor salt water flooding is expected at times of the afternoon/evening high tides beginning Tuesday. Thankfully, the lack of rain in the forecast means that these high tides, while inconvenient, will not cause significant issues for the Charleston metro area. One notable exception: Highway 17 at Main Road headed to Johns Island was closed as of this evening due to tidal flooding.
Cleanup continues
While cleanup is moving at a good pace in the Lowcountry, you may yet encounter downed trees and power lines on secondary and tertiary roads. If you are still making your way back to town, please be safe. Assume any downed line is live.
Some places still do not have power. Crews are working very hard to restore this, but you may need patience as they continue to restore service. Barrier islands may yet need more recovery time, too.
The good news
There aren’t any new tropical systems expected to brew for a few days.
Enjoy the great weather, everyone. Continued good luck in cleanup. Please be safe.
